LEGEND OF NEVETSECNUAC - THE CAPITAL CHANNING - SECTION 1

 

The highway they traveled on from the port of Hanbrak teemed with increasingly denser traffic as they neared the walled Capital, Channing.  Soon they saw it: the monumental, awesome structure with its intermittent towers piercing the heavens, attesting to the skill and greatness of Wenjenkun. It needed no explanation as to why and how these virtually indestructible defenses had withstood centuries of offensives.  The outer wall, as Fradel Rurik Korvald (Nevetsecnuac) had been briefed, and could now bear witness to, had nine massive bronze gates while the inner wall had six.

A hundred bells tolled (pealed resonated, boomed, rang), as they neared the famous Kigo Bridge, greeting their ears with musical harmony; bells chimed at their regular intervals to mark the time of day from their location in the central square, where all streets within the city inevitably converged.

Two main arteries to Channing throbbed with fretful vitality when nearing dusk, Nevetsecnuac, Zunrogo and Tizan had merged with the hastening crowd, most anxious to cross one of the two bridges that led into the inner core of the city through the Zier Gate.  A short while later and the massive, bronze gates would be closed (barring) banning any entry until sunrise; three hours later a curfew would be imposed until sunrise.  If they failed in their objective, as violators, they would be subjected to, without exception, the most extreme penalty of slow, torturous death.  Fortunately for their party, the Lieutenant in charge of Zier Gate was on friendly terms with Zunrogo and spared them the grueling scrutiny the others were subjected to.

 

01-lLIEUTENANT IN CHARGE OF ZIER GATE

"Their papers are all in order, let them pass."  His resounding (loud, booming) order rippled through the ranks of guards and gave Captain Zunrogo and co. prompt easy access through the set of barricades which had been put in place since the last time Zunrogo had been to the Capital.  Declining the offer of a state carriage, they remained mounted on their horses as they joined in the swift, steady stream of traffic that flowed through the streets to their destination.

Channing, now the den of jackals, wolves, and tigers, more than sixteen miles in diameter and 62 miles around, this crowning jewel of the nation boasted in its middle city several dozen large, well-maintained streets and several hundred small alleys, which perpetually be thronged with people and rich carriages.

At the central core (of Channing), perpetuating the strength and enlightenment of Wenjenkun, stood the Military Academy, the Civil Universities, a multitude of monasteries and temples with turquoise tiles and crimson roofs.  Most had been constructed during the previous rule of the benevolent Zuronghan Alric Therran Valamir and now, after a lengthy closure and violent purges, they had modified their ideologies sufficiently enough to be considered fit for reinstatement by the present regime, with of course, limited potency (might and influence), of their former years of glory.

 The glistening green artery of the Yawjun River flowed through the center of the city, measuring five miles from bank to bank at its widest.  Picturesque vessels of all sizes and designs in an ongoing, steady stream contested with all their speed for the much coveted and privileged dock space.

Even at this quick pace, Nevetsecnuac's eyes feasted on the festooned splendors of the magnificent Inner City.  Shops were laden with the rafters with exotic merchandise.  Imposing, many storied buildings of all shapes lined the main thoroughfare and beyond.  Gilded and brightly lit pavilions in elaborate architectural styles, bustling Pleasure Houses adorned with Heavenly Beauties beckoned the distinguished guests to their bosoms and a multitude of well-established tea houses catered to a discerning and demanding clientele.  Cultural institutions throbbed with the discussions of the arrogant elite.

A pervasive picture of opulence and a thriving economy could easily have overwhelmed any newcomer to the city, enticing him into abandoning all reserve; all moral principles save for those the city itself dictated and are forever enslaved in this irresistible, gilded cage.

Everything here was most assuredly divorced from the harsh daily realities the rest of the country endured.  Indeed, as the authorities had planned (intended), this artificial world encapsulating the visitor would leave no doubt in his mind about the opulent strength of the economy and he would continue being duped, convinced that if Channing was at the zenith of its power and wealth then the remainder of Wenjenkun also enjoyed the same conditions.

 

02- NEVETSECNUAC IN CAPITAL (4)JP

Fradel Rurik Korvald (Nevetsecnuac), having travelled (ridden) the far corners of the Empire, knew the difference and shook his head in disdain and disbelief.  How the rest of the populace suffered intolerable conditions, endured terrible ordeals in-order-to furnish Channing with this excessive abundance!

 Fradel Rurik Korvald ‘s (Nevetsecnuac’s) face became increasingly grim as another level (layer) of this reality crept in.  On the surface this well-mannered bustling populace, with their rich silk brocade robes, their neatly trimmed and decorated head and facial hair, their fine carriages restricted to one side of the road and their lips frozen in mechanical smiles, presented the very picture of contentment and tranquility.

Yet Fradel’s keen senses penetrated this impressive facade, alerting him to the reality that this unnatural, perfectly regimented order laid atop an unseen, eerie atmosphere of fear and oppression that lurked just barely beneath the surface.

Suddenly a shrill whistling pierced the clamor.  Instantly the crowd mechanically peeled into two streams, drew close to the buildings, and halted abruptly. 

On Zunrogo’s sharp command, Tizan and the Scholar Fradel Rurik Korvald dismounted at once and joined the rest at the side of the road.

Within seconds the thundering hooves were upon them.  A wave of fear rippled through the comatose citizens as they lowered their heads, turned away or cast their eyes to the ground.  Only scholar Fradel’s (Nevetsecnuac's) eyes were defiantly lifted to see the charging contingent pass at a gallop, led by a fearsome warrior on a magnificent white stallion.  In the brief instant when their eyes met, the warrior's cold, cruel, predatory gaze pierced through Nevetsecnuac's unflinching stare to the core of his being.

 

03- EGIL VIGGORIES 5 -JP

 A disturbing thought at that point in time had barely formed in his consciousness, “He looks so much like a young… No!  That's not possible!”  Nevetsecnuac shook his head to dismiss this deplorable speculation as his eyes trailed the receding horsemen.

 

"He's on a hunt!" Tizan's icy contempt snapped Fradel (Nevetsecnuac) out of his daze, and he turned his sharp, questioning eyes to the Lieutenant.  Tizan had uttered these indiscriminate words seemingly without fear or, at least, care.

 Boldly, too boldly in fact, he continued, "That Imperial edict he's carrying can only mean…” His words were frozen on his tongue by a stern look from Zunrogo.  Stymied, he grumbled under his breath then bared his teeth in a savage grimace to cast a threatening look around him.  This implicit threat was enough to scatter those few pedestrians that had lingered briefly on the spot to silently admonish Tizan for this apparent foolishness.

 "A flock of sheep, all of you," Tizan snorted contemptuously and swung into the saddle in one swift leap.

Zunrogo turned to Fradel Rurik Korvald (Nevetsecnuac) and grimaced wryly, anticipating the question.  "Now you've seen His Excellency Egil Viggoaries, remember him.  You would do well to be wary of him; better still, if possible, avoid any contact (interaction) or confrontation with his excellency."  With a sardonic smile, thinking, “he delights most in feasting on virtuous, attractive (, striking, handsome, desirable) insects like you”, he mounted his horse and spurred the beast on ahead.

 

The road they were on eventually converged with the others at the central square.  As they passed the gibbet in the center, Nevetsecnuac's eyes were riveted to the wretched corpse hanging headless from a pole that jutted from the raised platform.  At the side a crimson plaque was erected, stating in white letters the name and crime of the offender.  Around the corpse, in a bizarrely grotesque dance, a small crowd was endlessly circling, spitting, jabbing, and poking at the body in an almost orchestrated manner.  Occasionally one would furtively glance about, as if this performance was undertaken to assert his loyalty for the benefit of hidden, spying eyes.

At first glance the head of the corpse seemed to have been savagely; brutally bitten off but on closer scrutiny, Fradel (Nevetsecnuac) noted that it had, in fact, disintegrated at the neck as if some corrosive substance had eaten through the flesh and bone.  The rest of the corpse’s torso had been charred over three quarters of its surface and the part below the waist was slowly being mutilated, beyond human recognition, by the crowd.

Suddenly a shiver rippled through Fradel Rurik Korvald’s (Nevetsecnuac’s) chest as his eyes were riveted to a single lock of bloodied, shriveled red hair on the nape.

“It’s inconceivable.  Had this been his fate?  Had he… No!  He could not have been so easily overcome, not him.”  With an effort of will Nevetsecnuac dispelled the traces of suspicion that lurked in the depths of his heart before they took root, supplanting it with strong, unequivocal denial.

 A moment later, the gnawing feeling re-emerged in the pit of his stomach, “Could it be that this Dwengzur was that competent?”  His eyes were still glued to the corpse, Nevetsecnuac involuntarily tugged at the reins, causing the beast he was riding to rear abruptly.

Zunrogo looked dubiously at Fradel Rurik Korvald (Nevetsecnuac) but said nothing, but Tizan could not let the opportunity to goad the scholar slip by.

"A friend of yours?" he asked coldly as he pulled up alongside Fradel’s horse.

Ignoring this needling, Fradel (Nevetsecnuac) turned to read the notice.

Midway to, it stated that this assassin was an enemy of the state who had come to Wenjenkun as an emissary from Kontu… Kontu, not Korion!  Nevetsecnuac breathed a deep sigh of relief but then quite unbidden; other’s cryptic words came to mind,

"Even if I fail, I shall not fail." 

Nevetsecnuac’s (Fradel’s) heart once more became laden with the same doubts, the same suppositions until, biting his lip, he resolved to, at the first opportunity, make discrete inquiries and resolve this puzzle, one way or another.

 

04- ZUNROGO TUGO - JP 21 B

Zunrogo had reined in his horse and, inclining his head as if to check the bridle, observed scholar Fradel Rurik Korvald ‘s (Nevetsecnuac's) quandary from the corner of his eye.  Since Fradel (Nevetsecnuac) had made no attempt to hide his concern, Zunrogo disdainfully scoffed and wheeled his horse about.  The scholar's mood had always perplexed him, but other concerns now preyed more heavily on his mind.  He let the matter drop, making no attempt whatsoever to straighten Tizan out. 

 

“Besides,” he told himself, “It won't be long now before I'm relieved of this annoying obligation.”

As it were, from the moment Zunrogo relinquished the care of the scholar to another, Fradel Rurik Korvald (Nevetsecnuac) would cease to exist for him.  With his farsightedness Zunrogo had already surmised that there would be little advantage in ingratiating himself with the illustrious Fradel.  In fact, he speculated that the scholar's immanent downfall would come in the not-too-distant future.  Already the fashionable trend of the day towards the literati was starting to shift in the direction for, it’s inevitable decline.

Tizan, meanwhile, had erroneously attributed Fradel’s (Nevetsecnuac's) mood to weakness, assuming that the scholar's delicate constitution had obviously been ruffled, shaken to the core by the gruesome realities of life.  Not bothering to conceal his scornful contempt, he had steered his mount alongside Fradel’s (Nevetsecnuac's), mumbling jibes (taunts), as they both caught up to Zunrogo then, proceeded to blend in (merge with) the other stream of traffic that led to an alternate road away from the square.

Tizan grimaced maliciously as he threw sidelong glances, knowing that Fradel Rurik Korvald (Nevetsecnuac) would be witnessing far worse sights in the days to come.  “Either you will grow accustomed to these common sights, or you’ll fall gravely ill and, perhaps, die.”  Tizan contemptuously laughed.

 

05--TZAN JP

“That’s right, Channing will either toughen you up or devour you whole, smarty-pants.”  Even as he thought this, Tizan knew what the outcome would be.  “Ha!  Go back while you can, pathetic fool.  Your fine looks, your honeyed, intellectual jargon will not win you any merit (credence or weight) here.  They will not keep you from harm; sooner or later you will succumb to the dangers and perish as all your kind should.  If you had any lick of sense, you would feign sudden illness and flee, as soon and as fast, all the way back to that safe mountain retreat and bury your head in your manuscripts, for only the strongest, the shrewdest, the most cunning survive here.”

Of course, Nevetsecnuac’s ears had incessantly burned with all that unspoken hostility from Tizan; however, as it would hardly be worth his while to challenge or lecture this illiterate brute; besides which, Tizan’s presumed crude estimation being somewhat palpable (blatant) truth, Nevetsecnuac had kept his quiet.

 

Nevetsecnuac, meanwhile, had comprehended far more than he let on; he’d recognized for instance, how in Channing, competition was fierce, mercy and compassion was an unknown, unpracticed, and altogether dangerous precept.  He knew also, and could rightly attest to now, how alongside most prevalent punishments another, more sinister, harsher reality lurked. One that had been a routine policy in Channing, for well over a decade, to systematically uncover and eradicate all undesirable and imperfect elements and citizens.  Anyone who’d been deemed unpleasant to the eyes or senses of the ruling elite, had been, without mercy, hounded to extinction; scores cruelly tortured as part of night's entertainment and some driven out or eliminated entirely, by the ruthless invisible force that manned the society (populace) of Metropolis.

The rare anomaly (variance), those few less than perfect opulent residents, by dispensing bribes and staying well hidden, had subsisted through this dicey, hazardous existence (way of life) in Channing. 

 

 

                                                                                  ~

 

 

(END OF SECTION 1)

 LEGEND OF NEVETSECNUAC - ON THE WAY TO THE CAPITAL - SECTION 13

 Zhadol had narrowed his eyes and had spoken thoughtfully that last part, but then he sharply looked up and grimaced, "Yet, you know what, Egil Viggoaries is not entirely to be blamed for all that he’d…. “Zadol abruptly stayed his tongue, then simply shook his head. “What I mean to say is that he’s only the product of his circumstances.  Zakhertan Yozdek’s former Chief Eunuch, Mokan had a lot to do with molding Egil Viggoaries’character; yes, since the time he’d been made his guardian, when Egil was in his early teens.  Now there was a devious, callous brute; his heart was black, far blacker than Egil Viggoaries's now. You are most fortunate that his early death spared you from having any dealings with him.”

01- CHIEF EUNUCH MOKAN

Zadol pensively looked away for a time, then after a nod, said: “Since the time Egil Viggoaries’s training was entrusted to that demon Chief Eunuch, furthermore, he was given free rein to do anything he pleased…. well, is it any wonder that Egil Viggoaries is the way he is now?  In a rare, vulnerable moment once, much to my surprise, Egil tearfully opened his heart to me and confessed his deepest, darkest secrets; how he had been savagely, brutally …. oh, I cannot speak of such….” Zhadol suddenly dropped his head and fell silent, as involuntary shudder just then passed through him.

"Then I should think that His Excellency Egil Viggoaries definitely had a hand in his guardian's untimely and rather suspicious demise (end).  After all, didn't he have everything to gain and nothing to lose?"  Yennic's pitiless (cold) tone was deliberately provocative.

"I see that you are not above lending an ear to these unsubstantiated, idle and malicious rumors that obviously persist to date." Zhadol huffed angrily.

"Mokan had a multitude of enemies and any one of them was capable of engineering that bizarre, freakish accident, infinitely more capable than a mere boy barely fourteen years of age.  Mokan got exactly what he deserved.  Frankly, it’s strange that someone didn't off that brute long before."   Zhadol gritted his teeth then, growing quiet, looked away.

“How fervently (vehemently) you rush to the defense of Egil Viggoaries, while inadvertently perhaps, exposing your searing contempt for your old benefactor, Mokan.” Yennic mused, studying Zhadol out of the corner of his eye.

 “One would think that you shared Egil Viggoaries's pain at first hand, despite your prior claims.  Well, why not?  I should be cross with you for keeping the truth from me, and your denial has confirmed my suspicions.  Egil Viggoaries was only fourteen at the time, but you were nineteen and certainly felt protective of him.  You both were in on the conspiracy, weren't you?  Though perhaps I'll milk the confession and the details some other time from you.”

Assuming a gentler disposition now, Yennic on the outset conceded, smiling, "True enough, it’s too far-fetched to consider… mmm… true enough, such a deed would be way beyond any boy's capacity.  Still, Mokan's demise was very beneficial for His Excellency Egil Viggoaries.  Wasn't he chosen for some personal, private service to the Crown Prince Herleif, shortly afterwards?  A decidedly advantageous gain, wouldn't you say?"

02- PRINCE HERLEIF (1)

"You would think so, wouldn't you?" Zhadol scoffed.

 "First of all, the appointment came much, much later and secondly, there, too, Egil Viggoaries suffered unspeakable abuse at the hands of Zakhertan Yozdek's once, favored son Herleif.”

“No, Yennic," Zhadol asserted grimly, "it was not an advantageous position.  In fact, it was quite the opposite.  The damage done by his humiliation and degradation was almost irreparable.  However, it was somewhat countered by the scant attention and due recognition he received from our Sovereign."

 Zhadol shook his head. “Yes, I could tell you horror stories about that episode in Egil's life as well.  Still, while emotionally bound to His Highness, Egil to date credits all blame on his rebellious father: he’s been held solely responsible for all Egil’s suffered pain and abominations since the time of Egil’s abandonment at infancy.  In fact, so doggedly Egil loathes, to the very marrow of his bones, his biological father, that I think…" But then Zhadol suddenly falling silent, pensively looked away at some distant point.

 When Yennic drew closer and appeared, about to speak, Zhadol, surmising the inquiry, shook his head and answered readily, "No, Yennic, I don't know the insurgent Lord’s name.  I don't even think Egil Viggoaries knows for certain. "

"Then again, maybe he does know it; but he feels far too shamed to…” Zhadol in afterthought shrugged then stroked his beard.

Subsequently, his brain flooded with a rush of memories Zhadol, nodded absentmindedly as he inwardly examined the scant clues he’d previously overlooked. "Yes, maybe he does know, that would explain so much!"

“Shamed…?”  It was such an odd choice of words, that, Yennic, meanwhile, had looked questioningly at Zhadol; but the Commander ‘s mind already drifted off to distant memories, mired in his own recollections, he simply ignored Yennic.

In the ensuing minutes Zhadol then had quietly reminisced about the infrequent moments of kindness he'd experienced with Egil Viggoaries and the knotted muscles of his face relaxed their hold fractionally.  With a softer expression he looked up and smiled, "You know, Yennic, he does have a vulnerable side to him, though you'd rarely see it for he never drops his guard, even when asleep."

03-EGIL VIGGORIES

"Listening to your accounts one could easily be misled, or worse, disarmed, by His Excellency Egil Viggoaries." Yennic laughed cynically. "You paint a picture of a victimized, vulnerable, oh so tragic being!  How can you speak kindly of him after all you've seen, after all the atrocities you've witnessed and after all your suffering at his hands?  Is abandonment, or a deprived childhood love, any excuse for all his sins (depravities) he’d committed, or was it just his evil innate nature surfacing to begin with?  I'd suspect you'd find something nice to say about even the most vicious beast as he stood above you, threatening to devour you whole."  Yennic grinned, shaking his head.

"I've always said that you are too soft hearted.”  “Or does it go deeper than that?  Could it simply be guilt? And so, despite it all, you view Egil as replacement for your long-lost little brother-one you’d failed to protect; Egil hence, filling that void of mentoring and protecting, as means for absolution?" Yennic conjectured (theorised), as he sternly (unsympathetically, hardheartedly) scrutinized Zhadol.

Just then however, Yennic’s eyes suddenly lit up and a sinister smile brushed his lips as if he recalled a new way to goad the Commander.  "Speaking of Egil Viggoaries's favorites, I just realized it’s been some time since we've heard about Heng Erling."

04-- HENG ERLING

Still perched on the tree branch, Nevetsecnuac momentarily tensed at hearing that familiar name.  So much had happened since that fatal encounter.  A cold shiver rippled through him as he instantly recalled Heng Erling's deception, the intense combat and finally, that shattering disclosure (revelation) that had irretrievably altered his future. (Detailed account of this is at- Book 6- The Assassins- Section 17)

 

"You didn't do something drastic to Heng Erling, did you?"  Yennic's teasing tone disclosed a slight hint of jealousy.

"I hate to disappoint you but no, I didn't.  He left some time ago on a secret mission and I did not care to ask His Excellency anything about it."  Shrugging his shoulders dispassionately, Zhadol looked away.

"Understandably", Yennic masked his cruelty to play at being sympathetic once more.

"Well, perhaps he'll have the good fortune to fall prey to some serious adversary and never darken your thoughts again.  Tell me, though; was there any truth to those rumors concerning Heng Erling and His Excellency?"

05--HENG ERLING

"You know it well!"   Zhadol fixed his cold gaze back on the Lieutenant.

"But I thought that they had despised each other all along?" Yennic needled.

"The animosity between them was real enough.  They were rivals since childhood.  Heng Erling had always been close to the Crown Prince Herleif and never missed a chance to entice Prince Herleif into torturing Egil Viggoaries for being different.  Yet you know how opposites attract.  Besides, I believe Heng's recent change of heart was instigated by his mother's ambition.  That artful, calculating enchantress (wiccan) Lady Lingrace controls him absolutely. She has high ambitions for him, you know, particularly since His Highness has now two remaining living sons and only one living illegitimate one that we know of. “

“Wasn’t Lady Lingrace a lady-in waiting, to Lady Elin?” Yennic pondered out loud. “That’s right, she had been attendant to Prince Qijerrik and Prince Herleif’s mother Lady Elin, during which, she had an affair with His R.H. Zakhertan Yozdek. Later still, her husband Gustav Erling was executed for treason; Heng’s elder siblings were promptly executed, but the younger Heng Erling was spared, and we all know the reason, why? Rumors had it, because he was His Majesty Zakhertan Yozdek’s illegitimate son. Lady Lingrace is considered old now, she has lost most of her attractiveness, but still is around and furthermore, maintains most of her power.”

06- LADY LINGRACE

“You would think so, wouldn’t you?  But I think that is not entirely true. Meanwhile, she must have noticed the balance of power shifting towards Egil Viggoaries lately and so pushed her son into aligning with the sure victor.” Zhadol pensively ejected.   

"And she thinks that, when it comes to it, His Excellency Egil Viggoaries will politely step aside?"  Yennic could not hold back a laugh.

"You're dangling over the (razor’s) blade’s edge again!"   Zhadol knitted his brows in anger.  "I warned you about that kind of dangerous talk!"

"I was only hypothesizing; I meant nothing by it." Yennic retracted it at once, grinning sheepishly.  "His Excellency's devotion and loyalty to His Highness is above question.  Everyone knows that."

 Zhadol elected not to dwell on it.  "Come now.  Patient and tactful you are not.  I know you've been burning with curiosity all night, so why haven't you asked me yet about the cause of the recent trouble between Egil Viggoaries and myself instead of talking about nearly everything else?"

"I figured you'd get around to it eventually."  Yennic shrugged his shoulders, feigning indifference.  "Besides, you'd assured me that there was nothing to worry about."

"Pretend all you want; I know you better."  Zhadol laughed in good humor.

"Well then, I'll tell you but don't expect any elaboration on it. “

                                                                                 ~

 

(END OF SECTION 13)